More than 5,700 flights around the world were canceled over the Christmas weekend, and thousands of flights were delayed, according to specialty website FlightAware, which at the moment caused the travel disruption of the highly contagious Ummigran to disrupt millions of passengers.

The website “Flightaware.com” also reported that at least 2,500 flights were canceled worldwide on Christmas Day, with more than 870 flights arriving from or arriving at airports in the United States, while about 4,200 flights were postponed until 14:30 GMT. .

On Friday, about 2,400 flights were canceled, while about 11,000 flights were reported postponed. The site also recorded the cancellation of more than 800 flights scheduled for Sunday.

Pilots, flight attendants and other employees had to seek sick leave or have to go into isolation after contact with victims of the Covid disease or after being forced into Lufthansa, Delta, United Airlines, Jet Blue and numerous other airlines. Suffering from a shortage of manpower to cancel trips during the peak year of travel.

And a passenger from the US state of Vermont wrote in a tweet to the airline on Saturday: “Please help. The United flight has been canceled again. I want to go back to celebrate Christmas.”

Staff rushed to divert pilots and aircraft and change crew tasks, but the Omicron explosion caused widespread disruption.

“The increase in the number of Omigran infections nationwide is directly affecting our staff and the people who run our operations,” United said in a statement Friday.

“As a result, unfortunately we had to cancel some flights and inform the affected customers before arriving at the airport,” the company added, adding that it was working to find new bookings for passengers.

Delta canceled at least 280 flights on Saturday and 64, Sunday, saying it had “exhausted all options and resources, including changing the flight path and changing aircraft and crew to cover planned flights”.

“We apologize for postponing our customers’ travel plans during the holidays,” the company said.

For many Americans hoping to meet family members after the trip, the cancellation of epidemics associated with the outbreak increased and last year’s Christmas celebrations were greatly reduced.

As “China Eastern” announced the cancellation of about 1,000 flights (i.e. more than 20% of its scheduled flights), a large number of cancellations were announced among Chinese airlines. Period ..

According to the Automobile Association of America estimates, more than 109 million Americans are scheduled to travel by plane, train or car between December 23 and January 2, 34 percent more than last year.

But most of these plans were in place before the eruption of Omigron, which dominates the United States, where it is currently putting pressure on some hospitals and health workers.

On Friday, New York State announced 44,431 new epidemics, a new record.

But according to the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD), which has been monitoring St. Nicholas’ Christmas aircraft for more than 60 years, Omicron did not affect Santa’s flight.

US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill on Friday made a video link with NORAD officials confirming that Santa’s trip was going well.

Later, Biden spoke via video with several American families and asked the children what gifts they would like, promising that they should go to bed before midnight so that Santa Claus could see them.